


vanilla chocolate with a cherry on top

by eatthatup



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, M/M, Social Media, Strangers to Lovers, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:21:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24102811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eatthatup/pseuds/eatthatup
Summary: Mark has been warned plenty of times.Kim Jungwoo, the new student who has everyone on their knees, hot but chill, laid back. Mark doesn’t understand the appeal, and doesn’t meet him until two weeks go by of people gushing over him.It’s almost tragic, how they meet.
Relationships: Kim Jungwoo/Mark Lee (NCT)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 167





	vanilla chocolate with a cherry on top

**Author's Note:**

> this is a commission for @MINKILUVER again, but this one was way harder and i hope you really enjoy the format!! i did it just for you just to thank you for trusting me<3 thank you sosoo much
> 
> [this is my tw and commissions info!!](https://twitter.com/ten__wv/status/1241880594625200128?s=21)

Mark has been warned plenty of times.

Kim Jungwoo, the new student who has everyone on their knees, hot but chill, laid back. Mark doesn’t understand the appeal, and doesn’t meet him until two weeks go by of people gushing over him.

It’s almost tragic, how they meet. 

He’s walking down the street holding the ice cream Donghyuck specifically asked for and then a tall guy is bumping into him, the chocolate ice cream smashing into his white shirt. Mark doesn’t want to look up, doesn’t want to confront it. Yet sadly, the stranger does it first.

“Hey,” he exclaims, “this is my uniform.”

Then Mark looks at his face and recognizes him instantly. Kim Jungwoo. The infamous hot heartbreaker, womanizer, playboy, and every single adjective he’s been described with. Mark only recognizes him because Jeno showed him a picture that Jaehyun sent him once, and, well, his face is pretty unforgettable.

“Fuck,” he curses, “sorry.”

“It’s okay, uh,” he stutters, or pauses, does something Mark wasn’t expecting at all, “I can find another shirt. Let me buy you another ice cream.”

“Dude, it’s okay, I’ll tell my friend about this and he won’t even care.”

Jungwoo narrows his eyes. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, they kinda love you.”

For a moment Jungwoo seems to process the situation and then sighs, “well, tell them I said hi.”

“Oh, I will.” 

-

Mark goes back to campus and finds Donghyuck sitting under the sun, eyes closed. 

Once Mark approaches them, they all look at him, and Donghyuck, of course, gasps.

“Where’s my ice cream?” He questions. 

“On Kim Jungwoo’s shirt,” he says. They all gasp. Mark loves the power he has, but then remembers it all comes from a single guy, probably a stuck up asshole who pretended to be nice just to laugh about him later. 

“What?” Donghyuck exclaims. He gets up and almost reaches Mark. God, he needs to grow up just a bit. 

“I ran into him outside and we bumped into each other, so your ice cream is lost,” Mark explains. 

“God, I wish I could lick his shirt,” he says. They all groan.

“You’re disgusting.”

“I know.”

Jeno grimaces and Mark stares at him, understanding. He takes a seat and bathes in the spring sun, warm enough. Then Donghyuck is hitting his shoulder while pointing at his phone.

 **snoopwoo •••  
**   
**34 Likes** _  
__View 3 comments 7_ _m_

“Look!” Donghyuck says eyes on the picture shown on the screen. “Amazing. Never seen before. Spectacular.”

“You’re obsessed with someone you don’t even know,” Mark comments, “calm down.”

He knows because he actually _met_ the legend himself, ruined his shirt, and then that image of superiority Mark had of the guy quickly vanished the moment he heard him talk. 

“I don’t need to know him.”

Renjun stays weirdly quiet, probably assessing the situation, and then says, “I think he’s not what it smees.”

“They never are!”

Jeno nods and Donghyuck huffs, mad that none of his friends agree with him. It’s his problem, after all, for getting so involved in drama and rumours. Jaehyun is their only connection to them, and Mark doesn’t know how much he can trust him.

It’s his brother after all. 

“Listen, I’m gonna go talk to him, I swear,” Donghyuck continues.

“You’re not,” Mark says.

“I will.”

-

Apparently, Donghyuck does, and it doesn’t go as planned.

“He talked about _you_!”

“What?”

Mark doesn’t understand a single thing. 

“He told me to leave you a message which is ‘ _thanks for ruining my shirt I needed a new one’_ ” he says, “I’m so mad. I wanted to flirt.”

“He thanked me for _ruining_ his shirt? Is he insane?” Donghyuck raises his eyebrows.

“That’s why I like him.”

He doesn’t want to deal with it, with any fame or womanizer guy, all he wants to do is study and graduate, easy. Mark doesn’t need any extra problems beside his group of friends. So he rolls his eyes and tells Donghyuck to take care of it, make up a message for him, and then finally be able to flirt with him.

“Okay, okay,” he says, “as long as I get to talk to him.”

“You’re so weak:”

“Of course I am.”

He hopes it goes as planned. 

-

It doesn’t, two days later, Donghyuck comes moping to their usual meeting place.

“He clearly is uncomfortable by _me_ ,” he huffs, “what should I do?”

“Leave him alone?” Renjun suggests. Mark giggles. 

“He still talks to me about Mark,” Donghyuck continues, “it’s frustrating.”

“What?”

He never thought someone like Kim Jungwoo could be so insistent, yet here he is, in front of a defeated Donghyuck who keeps telling him all Jungwoo could talk about was their incident. 

“I’m serious, he laughs about that ruined shirt all the time, his friends even seem tired of it,” he says. 

“It wasn’t that big of a deal,” Mark says. Maybe it was. “Right?”

Donghyuck simply stares at him. 

**markk_lee** •••  
  
**12 Likes**  
**markk_lee** Finally **  
**_View 1 comments 1m_

_-_

Jaehyun  
  
Jungwoo told me abt your incident  
  
Tell him to forget about it!!!!!  
  
You tell him  
  
He keeps apologizing for using one of my shirts  
  
You have plenty….  
  
Exactly  
  
He won’t listen  
  
He asked for your number bc he wanted to apologize but I’ll ask for your permission first  
  
Since when?  
  
Since I’m a nice person cmon  
  
Ok? Am I allowed to just give it to donghyuck?  
  
IDK maybe  
  
Then do it  
  
I’ll let him apologise even though it was my fault  
  
So you owe me a shirt  
  
Ha  
  
Brother of the year🙄  
  


Hyuck  
  
I got you something  
  
jungwoo’s phone number?  
  
How did you even know?  
  
WHHATJGJJF  
  
IT EAS A JOKE  
  
Well, I’ll get it for you  
  
king thank u  
  


-

A week goes by uneventfully.

Mark manages to get his papers done in time and Donghyuck appears to be more relaxed than usual, or defeated, maybe. Renjun tells him to give up and he does, but if he’s not fixed on a single thing, then Donghyuck isn’t himself.

“What if I dated your brother?” Donghyuck says, resting his head on his lap. The sun hits his skin and it makes him glow. 

“What?”

“Well, he’s attractive, I mean,” Jeno snorts, playfully hitting Donghyuck’s shoulder, and Mark pushes him away just to play along. It doesn’t bother him, really. 

“Good luck with that.”

They enjoy the sun and the light breeze that ruffles their hair, a warm atmosphere. Until Mark’s phone vibrates and they all look.

“What’s wrong?”

“That’s a message,” Renjun points out, “you never get messages."

Mark hates that they are so mean but at the same time so _right_. He doesn’t usually communicate with much people other than Jaehyun and his parents, so during class, it’s unusual for him to get a text. Mark is intrigued, too.

+82-185-5561-485  
  
hey  
  
it's me  
  
Who’s this?  
  
sorry  
  
i'm jungwoo  
  
Oh  
  
Hi  
  
yeah hi!  
  
i wanted to tell you i’m sorry again about the ice cream thing!  
  
Don’t worry  
  
My friend was more than pleased  
  
He talked about licking your shirt  
  
  
  


Behind him, Donghyuck is reading over the conversation, and gasps once Mark sends that message. He hits the back of his neck and ignores how it turns red.

“Don’t tell him that!” Donghyuck exclaims.

“Then what should I tell him?”

Jeno and Renjun seem to be absorbed in a profound meditation, as they lay down on the grass, close their eyes, and let the two fight.

“That I’m a normal person, first of all,” he says. 

“But you aren’t.”

Jungwoo shirt  
  
wow that’s…. weird  
  
but tell him i said hi  
  
donghyuck is it?  
  
Yeah  
  
Have you talked to him?  
  
He’s nice  
  
i have!  
  
but i just wanted to talk to you first

  
  
  


It makes Mark feel strange. His stomach hurts. 

Oh okay  
  
So it’s done now?  
  
Please don’t worry about it

okay i won’t  
  
but i’d like to invite you to have some ice cream someday! as payback

  
  
  
  
Donghyuck rolls back on the ground and _screeches_ , suddenly coming back up and stealing Mark’s phone from his hands.

“Oh my God,” he says, “let me read this properly.

“You don’t need to read anything—”

“He’s more than clearly asking you out,” Donghyuck says. Mark frowns.

“What?”

“You can’t be this dumb,” he mutters. He places the phone back in Mark’s hands and carefully scrolls through their messages again. 

“He keeps insisting. Like I kept insisting with him. It’s called flirting,” Donghyuck gives him some kind of lesson, and smiles to himself, proud. Mark doesn’t understand a thing.

“This is plain dumb, I don’t even know him,” he says, and leaves him on read. 

Donghyuck isn’t happy. “You’re not going to reply? What?”

“I don’t know what to say,” Mark mumbles.

“Someday I’ll kill you."

-

The next day he accidentally stumbles over a picture scrolling through his Instagram feed. 

**j.hyun.n •••  
**   
**12 Likes** **_  
_****j.hyun.n** We could be twins **@snoopwoo** _  
__View 7 comments 17m_

Curiosity takes him on a journey, which he later regrets, but for now presses on the mention and allows the profile to load. He scrolls through countless of pretty, aesthetic pictures. 

**snoopwoo** •••  
  
**102 Likes** **  
** _View 7 comments_ _1w_

**snoopwoo** •••  
  
**100 Likes** **  
** _View 3 comments_ _3w_

**snoopwoo** •••  
  
**89 Likes** **  
** _View 3 comments_ _4w_

  
  


Mark stops. Lays down his phone. Thinks of his actions, and groans. He can’t believe he’s falling for his friends’ games, for their distracting shenanigans, for Jaehyun and his lovely, soft friend. 

Jungwoo must be confused, must’ve gotten the wrong guy if he’s asking him out, as Donghyuck had said. There’s no way he’s actually _interested_. 

Yet perhaps Mark could take the offer and get a free ice cream, which is a good thing, and get it over with. No more teasing or texting (or so he hopes).

He has a strange feeling.

-

“You’re going on a _date_?”

God, Donghyuck is so loud. 

“No! I’m getting free ice cream with a guy I know nothing about!” 

Renjun laughs out loud, and smirks at him as if he knows something none of them do. He probably does. 

“You could know something!” Donghyuck exclaims, “his last name is Kim, he’s from Gimpo, and he’s only a year older than you.”

Now he narrows his eyes, ignoring how his stomach churns again. It must be something he’s eaten. 

“Seriously? I thought he was Jaehyun’s age,” he says. Mark was sure the guy was way older, even, and now there’s a lot of things that make sense. 

“No, he’s a baby,” Jeno looks at Donghyuck with a raised eyebrow, as well as Renjun who opens one eye. 

“A baby?”

“Well, yes, he seems like he’d be our age.”

“I’m your _hyung_ , dumbass,” Mark reminds him. 

Donghyuck only laughs and finally drops the matter, which makes Mark a bit less nervous at least, because even if they don’t talk about it, he’s going with _Jungwoo_ to get _ice cream_ after his last lesson. It’s happening. 

He can’t focus, at all, and begins wondering what makes him so nervous. Not knowing him? Going out with one of Jaehyun’s friend? The fact that he spilled chocolate ice cream all over his shirt? Then he overthinks, as always. Because what if it’s all a planned revenge, what if Jungwoo wants him to get a nice, round vanilla and chocolate ice cream only to smash it on his shirt, as payback. In a way, he said the word payback. So Mark is not so wrong for doubting him.

His teacher calls him out and Mark focuses back on the lesson.

Once outside, he texts Jungwoo.

  
Jungwoo shirt

I'm finally free

okayy!

i’m outside

i know a place

Okay

Mark’s hands tremble as he walks, afraid of facing him again. Yet, as he rounds a corner, his bleached hair comes into view and the blinding smile of his welcomes Mark with a warm aura. He wasn’t exactly expecting to feel comfortable. 

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey,” Jungwoo greets him, “wanna get going?”

“Of course.”

They walk only two blocks, until an ice cream shop comes into view. It’s not the one Mark bought Donghyuck’s ice cream from (it was _Mc Donald's_ ), and it surprises him how crowded it is. Still, Jungwoo finds a table (which makes Mark panic because it was supposed to be short; buy an ice cream and go home), secluded in a corner and gestures for Mark to sit down first. 

“What do you want to order?”

“You’re ordering for me?”

“Yes.”

He hasn’t eaten anything yet, but his stomach churns in ways he haven’t felt before. Mark should probably get it checked. 

“Okay, uhm, vanilla and chocolate?”

“Great, I’ll be right back,” he says.

It gives time for Mark to overthink, to regret his decision, to wonder how it will all go down. He doesn’t even know Jungwoo, and he’s sitting on a chair, in a shop, waiting for him to come back with an ice cream. It’s difficult to even imagine, to have Mark in this position, he knows, but he goes with it. And as he watches Jungwoo approaching the table again he shuts his brain up.

  
Hyuck

sooooo?????

hows it going?

I’m in the middle of it

no kissing?

Please shut up

just saying

enjoy your ice cream

Thanks  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Your friends?” He asks as Mark pockets his phone. 

“Yeah,” Mark replies, sheepishly. 

“Well, here,” he hands Mark his ice cream, “try not to drop it.”

He pouts, and then licks the side of it as it’s dripping already. If he stains his shirt, it’ll be purely karma. 

“Tell me about yourself.”

Mark doesn’t want to go there, at all. It’s the kind of territory he’s afraid of, and it’d mean Donghyuck is right. And he’s never right.

“Uhm, I’m majoring in Economic Sciences,” he says, as if Jungwoo doesn’t already know. “I’m from Canada.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

Jungwoo stares at him, silently for a bit, and then smiles. 

“That’s really cool. I’m bad at English,” he says.

“Really?”

“Yep, failing miserably the subject,” he sighs and then his eyes widen, as if he had an epiphany. “Wait, you could tutor me.”

“ _Me_?”

“Yes!” Jungwoo exclaims, “please.” 

And since Mark is known for never being able to say no, for being too weak and naive, he ends up agreeing to Jungwoo’s proposal. 

“Okay,” he says, “but only if you pay attention.”

“I will,” Jungwoo licks his ice cream, “trust me.”

  
  
**snoopwoo** •••  
  
**27 Likes** **  
** _View 1 comments_ _4m_

-

“So,” it’s the first thing Donghyuck says. “How did it go?”

“Just fine.”

“Just fine? Care to share a little more information with us?” He asks, and Jeno shrugs as if he’s not included.

“He wants me to tutor him in English,” Mark confesses. God, he’s so weak. “But I don’t know If I should do it or not.”

Renjun then looks up at him with a know-it-all expression, and says, “he clearly wants to spend time with you. It’s your choice.”

“You guys are insane,” Mark says, “he just wanted to apologize and now that he knows I’m fluent he wants me to teach him!”

As he says it, he realizes how ridiculous it sounds, yet convinces himself there are no other intentions behind Jungwoo’s proposal, that it’ll simply be a tutoring class, and once he’s ready to take an exam and pass it, it’ll all be over with. 

“Do you realize how oblivious you sound?” This time it’s Jeno talking, who’s the voice of reason most of the time, besides Renjun. He’s not oblivious, he’s being realistic. 

“I think you guys are just too obsessed.”

Donghyuck sighs and sits on the ground again. This spot has become their hideout, in some way, they enjoy the sun before having to jump again into essays and papers, and Mark is thankful for the warm sun that hits his face and relaxes his muscles. He could fall asleep like this.

“I hate uni,” Renjun mutters.

“We all do.”

Mark does, too.

“At least we got each other,” Mark says.

They all make gagging sounds, jokingly, and Mark pouts and pretends to be offended. He loves his friends, he truly does, no matter how insisting they might be, how annoying Donghyuck is at times, how hurtful Renjun can get. It’s a perfect balance. 

And Mark can’t stop thinking about Jungwoo. 

-

jungwoo shirt  
  
hii  
  
i’m texting you to arrange our first tutoring session  
  
You’re making it sound so serious  
  
you wanted me to be serious  
  
Well, I suppose I do  
  
so? when are you available??  
  
Tomorrow? As soon as I’m done, we can go somewhere quiet  
  
i know a café that’s always empty!! we can go there  
  
You know too many places  
  
i do :))  
  


-

Mark doesn’t usually posts pictures of himself on _Instagram_ , but there’s an itching urge to do so, and it’s been bothering him since the morning. 

He chooses a place of his place that’s well-lit and snaps a few pictures, hoping those are enough. They truly aren’t, he looks weird, and his smile is forced, but the need to post one is stronger so he does. He posts a picture after months. 

**mark.lee9** •••  
  
**10 Likes  
** mark.lee9 I’m back haha  
_View 2 comments 1m_

hyuck

mark LEE?????

posting a SELFIE?

What?

oh myyyyy 

you’re trying to impress jungwoo

I’m not

Leave me alone

he probably alrady stalked you

ahhh i’m so excited

He’s not gonna see it

Besides I was too inactive

right right

_[mark.lee9] snoopwoo liked your photo._

God he hates when Donghyuck is right, hates that it brings a smile to his face, excitement. Was it his intention? Was he unconsciously looking for Jungwoo’s approval? Mark feels pathetic, and considers deleting the post for a moment, until his phone vibrates in his hand.

jungwoo shirt

you finally posted!!

How did you find my acc?

your brother

sorry for being stalkerish i was curious

i’m glad you posted your face !  


He doesn’t reply, he can’t reply. There’s no way Donghyuck will be right _three_ times in a row. So he locks his phone and lays down staring at the ceiling. 

Mark is already in too deep. 

-

Their first tutoring session goes smoothly. 

Or at least Mark thinks so. He doesn’t feel uncomfortable at any point, out of place. Jungwoo makes him feel at ease, in some way, and he forgets about his friends and their teasing, forgets about the ice cream and his ruined shirt. It’s just the two of them, and Mark enjoys every second.

“What does _glimmer_ mean?”

“Oh it’s like, a faint light or moving light, it’s hard to explain,” he says, “like glitter under light, it glimmers.”

“Oh,” he nods, seemingly understanding, and looks up at Mark to check he’s done. 

“But the present tense is more important, focus on that,” Mark points at his book where it explains it, and Jungwoo frowns staring at it.

“I can’t, this is gibberish,” he says. 

“C’mon, try it,” Mark encourages him.

“Hm…” Jungwoo thinks for a moment, “ _I like… fruits_.”

“See? It’s easy,” Mark smiles. 

“ _I like… you_.”

He pales. Mark gulps and attempts to finds his words. It’s useless. 

“Uh, no, that’s not—you’re supposed to focus on nouns first.”

Jungwoo nods and reads over his book again. Mark looks up and sighs, trying hard not to panic. What if he _understands_?

“Okay, now tell me more,” Mark tells him.

“ _I like dye hair, I’m Korean, I like… boy_ ,” Jungwoo finishes it off with a smile, and Mark doesn’t know what to say. Blinks, and waits until his brain processes his words. 

“It’s, uh, okay. But you like _to_ dye _your_ hair,” Mark manages to correct him, “it’s okay, though, just grammatical stuff you learn by practicing.”

“I’m bad at practicing.”

“Then you will never learn.”

Jungwoo pouts and it hurts Mark in some way. 

“You’re mean! You’re supposed to help me,” he says, pointing at the mess there’s on the table, books, papers, and their finished coffees. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Mark apologizes with a smile on his face. He can’t help it. “So—”

“Do you want anything else to drink?”

Mark looks up at him. “Huh?”

“A coffee?” He asks.

“Okay.”

He doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into. 

-

jungwoo shirt  
  
_i don’t like coffee_   
  
What?  
  
Also that was good  
  
nothing  
  
just wanted to tell you that

  
  
  
  
Mark frowns. The sudden message in English scared him a bit, if he’s being honest.

Ok that’s good  
  
You’re learning  
  
thanks to you!!  
  
now past tense  
  
i’ve been reading but it’s too hard  
  
Yeah, it can be difficult  
  
But don’t worry I will help you!  
  
thank you mark  
  
you’re rlly nice  
  
:)  
  


For some reason, Mark blushes. His phone remains in his hand as he overthinks every single conversation they had, Jungwoo buying him ice cream, coffee, asking for help, for closeness. It’s like a click inside his brain, that makes Mark realize. Maybe, perhaps, Jungwoo has second intentions as he’s been told plenty of times. 

Mark hates to admit it, but Donghyuck was right.

-

“Everything okay, Mr. Tutor?” Renjun asks, a lopsided curve to his lips. 

“Yes, leave me alone.”

Donghyuck inspects him closely and, inevitably, makes him blush. Mark is weak, simply remembering the afternoon he spent with Jungwoo at a café is enough to have him flustered, as if anything happened.

“Oh, you like him.”

Jeno’s eyes widen and Renjun fully smiles now. “ _What_?”

“You’re overthinking it, right? I can see it, I know you Mark Lee,” Donghyuck says, “you’ve been acting weirder than usual, too.”

“How? And when? I’m acting just—as before.”

They all stare at him as if they know something he doesn’t, as if they are onto him and ready to spill it all. 

“You haven’t said no yet,” Jeno points out, “so you do like him?”

God, they’re making Mark more confused than he already is. 

“I don’t, okay?” Mark finally replies coherently, “I’m just tutoring him, so we’re spending time together.”

“Someone please show him,” Renjun comments.

Then Donghyuck is handing him his phone. 

**snoopwoo** •••  
  
**59 Likes** **  
** _View 3 comments_ _1d_

_-_

Their second session is a bit more, well, awkward. 

Mark is too focused on how his stomach won’t stop churning looking at Jungwoo, how pretty his eyelashes are, how he bites his lip in concentration. Those are details he wasn’t aware of before, and now thinking about it only embarrasses him. He can Renjun’s voice somewhere in the back of his head. 

“Are you sure this is okay?” Jungwoo points at the paper. 

“Huh?”

“Are you even paying attention?” 

He nearly blushes at being caught but coughs and looks at where Jungwoo is pointing.

“Yeah, I just spaced out,” he says, “it’s perfect. You’re doing good.”

“Thank you!”

They continue practicing until Jungwoo is almost yawning and the light outside begins to dim. He looks _cute_ , under the café’s lighting, with droopy eyes, and a sleepy expression. Mark hates himself for even thinking that. 

“So this unit,” he yawns, “oh, sorry.”

“You’re too tired, let’s go home, I’ll go with you.”

Jungwoo's face brightens. “To my place?”

Mark rolls his eyes. “Not going inside.” 

Then he pouts and Mark kind of melts, he feels it, how his insides turn into mush, and his face softens looking at him. God, he’s a mess.

“You should stay over sometime,” Jungwoo suggests, “I think I’ll be able to concentrate better in my own room.”

Mark panics. “Uh, yeah, I mean, it’s good enough here.”

Jungwoo smirks and gets up, gathering his belongings. Mark follows along and they walk outside, it’s cold and breezy, so Mark puts on his jacket. He then realizes that, of course, Jungwoo didn’t bring one. Of course he didn’t.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“A bit.”

He does what he’s supposed to do, takes off his own jacket and places it on Jungwoo’s shoulders so he’s a bit more warm.

Under the streetlights, he can see Jungwoo turn a very pretty pink color. 

-

hyuck

I think I fucked up 

what happened’???

I think I like him

WHAAAAAAAADFKF

HELLO?

Stoppp please

WOW AND YOURE ADMITTINGIT?

I don’t know

I just lend him my jacket because he was cold and it felt like a cliché

He blushed and I blushed and I liked it

THIS is too much info i have passed away

noooo wayyyy im so happy for you

This is a disaster not a time to be happy

WHY A DISASTER

I can’t like Kim Jungwoo!! He’s the new face of our uni, he doesn’t like me back, and I’m too busy to be worried about love

NOT THE L WORD

Donghyuck…

youre worrying too much for real just let yourself enjoy something for once youre always overthinking and not letting yourself be free

That was deep…

i know i’m proud of myself

I’ll see

I hope it was a thing of the moment

oh it won’t be

prepare yourself

Goodnight

-

**snoopwoo** •••  
  
**60 Likes** **  
** _View 3 comments_ _30m_

  
  


That’s the first thing Mark sees as he grabs his phone after waking up. He hates that it affects him, he hates that he presses _like_ , he hates it all. It’s hard to get up with that picture embedded in his brain, but he manages to at least jump into the shower and be ready ten minutes before his usual time, which is basically getting late, being sleepy the whole period, not being efficient, and more. 

Mark hates university. He hears Donghyuck and Renjun repeating it.

Then, as he walks to the door, his phone vibrates in his pocket.

Jungwoo shirt

helloo

good morning

Hii

It’s too early

i know

that’s why i wanted to ask you to come over after uni

so we can continue with tutoring

You’re taking advantage of me being sleepy?

of course

Ok

Yeah, it’s a good idea

great!!

i’ll be waiting in the same spot as always!!

Cool!

Mark’s cheeks go red _again_ , curses under his breath, and then pockets his phone once again. He can’t wait, and that makes him even more anxious that actually visiting Jungwoo’s place. 

-

“So now that our little Mark Lee admitted his feelings, what’s next?”

Donghyuck seems to be more involved in his love life than himself, but he allows it, being too tired to even deny it. Jungwoo makes his stomach ache, it’s true, there’s no remedy. He’s ready for the rest to speculate.

“They marry,” suggests Jeno.

“No, that’s too early, wait a few weeks.”

“They get together like normal humans?” Renjun says. He’s the voice of reason, as always. 

“Exactly!” Donghyuck exclaims, “now, Mark Lee, what’s next in your itinerary?” 

“Do I seriously have to do it?”

They all nod.

“I’m going to his place after my last period.”

Of course they go nuts, even Renjun’s eyes go wide and Jeno’s mouth falls open while Donghyuck screeches. 

“What the _fuck_?¿rdquo;

“I—"

“You’re already having sex?”

Jeno hits Donghyuck’s shoulders but doesn’t hide the smile on his face, neither does Renjun, grinning. 

“Please, shut up, you’re making me more nervous,” he tells them. They seem to understand, and calm down a little. 

“Okay, sorry,” Donghyuck apologizes, “but you’re not getting away from this.”

Now, he does fear for his life. 

-

**hyuck0.0** •••  
  
**31 Likes** ****  
**hyuck0.0** Mark Leettle #memories  
****_View 3 comments_ _1h_

hyuck  
  
guess who liked my pic on ig  
  
Jaehyun  
  
stop acting dumb  
  
Stop it’s embarrassing  
the caption or the pic?  
  
  
BOTH  
damn ok  
  
  
keep me updated pls  
  
I’ll try  
  


-

Jungwoo’s place is not as colorful as Mark expected it to be, given his personality. 

It’s minimalist, black and whites, gray walls, it’s appealing to the eyes, and it looks so clean it almost hurts Mark’s sight. 

They choose the couch to study, since it’s more comfortable, spacious, and the coffee table is big enough. Jungwoo doesn’t stop smiling and making small comments that fills Mark with butterflies, as cliché as it might sound. He brings out his books, grabs a pencil, and stares at Mark, awaiting.

“Where did we left off?” He asks. 

Mark doesn’t really remember, doesn’t really finds himself capable of concentrating, but attempts his best.

“Uhm, past tense, I think,” he says. 

“Okay, then, ask me questions,” Jungwoo suggests. 

“ _What did you do yesterday?_ ”

“ _I studied_ ,” he mutters in English. It’s cute. 

“ _What did you like to do as a child?_ ”

“ _I liked to play games_ ,” he says, more confident now as Mark nods with a grin.

“You’re getting better, I see,” Mark comments.

“Thank you,” he smiles, “it’s thank to you.” 

Mark hides the pink on his cheeks by coughing and turning his head towards his elbow. 

“Don’t thank me, seriously.”

“Oh, I wanted to ask you something,” he says, carefreely, ignoring how Mark freezes and avoids making eye contact. God, he’s so shy he wonder how he even has friends. How he even is inside Kim Jungwoo’s place. 

“Ask away!”

“ _Do you like someone?_ ”

His tone in English only makes the question worse, cute but strong, he bats his eyelashes and waits for Mark to reply, as if he didn’t just—do that,

“I—I think, uh, I do,” Mark stutters, “why?”

“Because I like you.”

Mark dies. He’s sure he does, he pales, his eyes go wide, his breathing fastens, and his stomach hurts so much he’s sure it might burst open, with whatever is inside, weighing. And his heart, it beats, erratically, Mark being sure Jungwoo can hear it. It hurts, to be so pathetic.

“I—wow, let me just,” he inhales, exhales, and watches as Jungwoo panics for a moment. “I like you, too.”

“Oh God, you had me for a moment there. Never pause like that again.”

Mark giggles. Jungwoo does too. 

“I wasn’t expecting it, for real, you took me by surprise,” Mark says, now more relaxed, but his face still burns as well as Jungwoo’s. The air suddenly is suffocating. 

“I’ve been flirting with you for a month, but thanks for noticing,” he jokes.

“Seriously?”

“Yes! Ever since you dropped that ice cream I couldn’t get you out of my head.”

He takes it all in. How it started, where he is right now, how it’ll continue. Mark doesn’t know, but maybe it’s the fun of it.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, I’ll buy you free ice cream again. Vanilla and chocolate, right?”

“Right.”

Jungwoo looks at him, stares at his face for a while, and then drops his gaze to his lips. “Can I kiss you?”

“Of course.”

**mark.lee9** •••  
  
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** **mark.lee9** ❤️  
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Hyuck

HELLOOO???

HOLAA???

MARK LEE

**Author's Note:**

> [this is my tw and commissions info!!](https://twitter.com/ten__wv/status/1241880594625200128?s=21)


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